


A Verboden Rivalry

by anyastasia



Category: Atmosphere Minecraft Roleplays, Phoenix Drop High, Quinn’s Lie, Riverside U, aphmau - Fandom, mystreet
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, School Rivalry AU, crossover AU, forbidden gays, this is the most ambitious crossover in history
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2020-11-28 12:07:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20966306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anyastasia/pseuds/anyastasia
Summary: Riverside High School and Phoenix Drop High have been rivals since before its current students were born. Seniors tell freshmen horror stories during homecoming week. Street races and soccer scrimmages lead to all our fights.So can the schools set aside their differences as another school — the preppy, terrifying Omnipotent Academy — looms over them?





	1. 1. Forbidden Fingers

Wesley’s forbidden fingers. They ran through Vylad’s forbidden hair, across Vylad’s forbidden skin. Vylad leaned against Wesley’s chest — across his soccer jersey. Across the blue and white of the Riverside High School logo. School had made those colors evil — Vylad’s brothers thought that hell would be blue and white. When Vylad saw those colors side by side, Wesley’s gentle brown eyes and soft brown hair and sprinkle of freckles and crooked-tooth smile came to mind. While Garroth thought of the roars of an angry football crowd, and Zane thought of his fingers around Bowen Kim’s neck, Vylad thought of Wesley’s wheezing laugh and the labored sound of his breath after he staggered off of the soccer field. 

Now Wesley’s breath was in sync with Vylad’s as he scrolled through his phone. His free hand slowly searched Vylad’s hair, twirling curls around his fingers or simply letting his hands get lost in the chocolate locks. 

Vylad played with a loose thread on his sweater. He and Wesley were huddled in the back room of Rocco’s, the small, family-owned pizza place where he worked. Vylad snuck in the back during his break and they hung out for forty five minutes before Vylad had to leave again before Aurora came for her shift. 

This was the only time Vylad could see Wesley in close proximity. Every other time he saw him, it was on the other side of the bleachers or out on the field, pushing every bone in his body to shoot the ball past Rylan and score a goal. 

The feud between Phoenix Drop High and Riverside High School was apparent but unspoken. You could feel it in the air when someone spoke about an upcoming sports event. It was like a real, tangible thing, hanging over the student’s heads. 

Allying with the rival school was unheard of. Students were forbidden to speak to each other. The only communication was through sports games and threats over text. Or, sometimes, challenges. Things like scrimmages or street races — they were fairly common and highly competitive. They were treated like real sports events. Usually, if they were between popular people, there would be a large turnout. 

Speaking of which. 

“I heard your brother got challenged to a street race,” Wesley said absentmindedly. Vylad looked up at him through his curls. Wesley set his phone to the side and dedicated both of his hands to roaming throughout Vylad’s hair. 

“Yeah,” Vylad answered. “Who challenged him this time? Liam or Santiago?”

“Malachi,” Wesley replied, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. 

“Yeesh, Garroth must have really fucked up if Malachi challenged him,” Vylad sighed. Malachi Ward, the most popular guy at Riverside High School. He was RHS’s resident fuckboy. Wesley was friends with him, but even he let the rumors about him spread. About how he rigged nearly every challenge that happened or cornered PDH freshmen in alleyways to mug them. Wesley never confirmed or denied anything. 

“Are you going to it?” Wesley asked, a little too hopefully. 

“I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t,” Vylad said. “According to Garroth, I’m his number one cheerleader.”

Wesley giggled. “That doesn’t surprise me. He’s your favorite brother.”

Wesley’s phone buzzed, announcing that it was time for Vylad to leave and Aurora to arrive. 

Vylad sighed. “I’ll see you at the race tonight,” he said. _On opposite sides of the streets,_ he lamented silently.

“Yeah.” Wesley and Vylad stood, and Vylad stood on tiptoe to give his cheek a kiss. 

Wesley smiled. “See you on Monday.”

Vylad nodded and hurried out the back, slipping into the alleyway as Aurora’s Jeep Wrangler pulled up in the back parking lot. As he expected, Faye and Bowen piled out after her. The three of them seemed inseparable, at least when Bowen’s girlfriend wasn’t around. 

Vylad decided to walk home. It was unusually cool for late September, and he only got to wear his sweater every so often, since he couldn’t wear it at school. It was funny, really; it was Phoenix Drop High merchandise, with the logo and insignia plastered all over it. Purple and gold gleamed from Vylad’s torso and arms. He took out his phone and dialed Kacey’s number. 

Of course he picked up immediately. “Hey, V,” he sang. Vylad sometimes wishes he could tell Kacey about Wesley; knowing him, Kacey would be all over them. But if he knew that Wesley was from Riverside...

“What’s up?” Kacey prompted. Vylad smiled. “Just walking.”

Each student that couldn’t hold their own in a street fight used the phone method. Call someone who you knew could pick a good fight and then stay on a call with them, just in case you got mugged. It was a good idea. Usually Vylad called Garroth, but he hadn’t heard Kacey’s voice all weekend. 

“Oh, I see.” Kacey said, hearing the code. “Where were you?”

“At Rocco’s. I just grabbed a drink,” Vylad said hurriedly. Rocco’s was a known Riverside hangout. It was dangerous just mentioning it, but Kacey could keep a secret. 

Kacey sighed. “Vylad, you always go to the most populated Riverside areas ever,” he said. “You’re asking to get mugged.”

“Garroth Ro’meave is my brother,” Vylad pointed out. “No one would dare mess with me.”

“Katelyn’s my sister and that didn’t stop some guys jumping me two weeks ago,” Kacey grumbled. He had a point. 

“Katelyn still beat them up, though, so-“ Vylad was going to contour but was knocked to the ground, his phone flying. 

Vylad grunted as he hit the ground, the wind going out of his lungs. He flopped around onto his back as a boot was placed on his chest. 

Asher Maybry. Dumbass, player, soccer champ — he had a million different names from a million different people. And now he loomed over Vylad, smirking. 

“That’s a Ro’meave, you dumbass,” a voice chimed from behind Asher. It was Liam Prim, a total knucklehead and jock. Fastest guy on the swim team, from what Wesley had told him. Behind Liam slunk Santiago Ramirez, baseball extraordinaire and, according to Wesley, one of the nicer preppy jock guys. 

“I know,” Asher said slyly. “It’ll give me so much street cred if I beat him up.”

“Jesus, you’re determined,” Santiago laughed. “Garroth will knock your teeth out.”

Asher grabbed Vylad’s shirt. “I don’t care.”

He threw a left hook and Vylad cried out. He desperately hoped Kacey had hung up and was calling Garroth, or maybe his sister. Vylad was silent as Asher hit him over and over again, warm blood splattering his face with each hit. Vylad was seeing stars when Asher’s weight was lifted and Liam and Santiago both exclaimed loudly. Vylad blinked wearily as Garroth pounded Asher into the brick wall nearby and held him by his throat. 

“Try and beat up my brother again,” Garroth growled. Asher frantically looked around for Liam and Santiago, but they had bolted. 

Asher flung his hands up in defeat and Garroth let go. Asher scuttled away, no doubt to lick his wounds and try to hide his defeat from Malachi. 

“Hey,” Garroth said softly as he lifted Vylad to his feet. “Why the hell were you walking without a phone?”

“Kacey didn’t call you?” Vylad said weakly as he wiped blood out of his eyes. 

Garroth shook his head. “I was driving past. I guess Kacey didn’t get to me in time.”

Vylad staggered over and picked up his phone. Kacey had hung up. He was glad Asher and the others hadn’t seen who he had been calling. 

“Let’s go home,” Garroth said, leading Vylad away towards the car. Vylad glanced down the street forlornly. He wished he could run down to Rocco’s and fall into Wesley’s forbidden arms, have Wesley wash the blood off of his forbidden face, and fall asleep on Wesley’s forbidden chest. 


	2. 2. Street Race

It was no secret that Malachi’s ride was beautiful. A sleek, dark blue Jaguar, with the tiny figurine polished and shining like a star. 

Jazz was tempted to reach out, rip it off the hood, and pocket it. 

But that wouldn’t be right. Plus, well over fifty people were standing around, and she was sure someone would see her. 

Plus, she had a job today. Alexis finally let her start the race. 

She stood on the Riverside side of the alley street, in a tiny blue and white crop top and matching sweatpants. Her purple hair was up in a ponytail and she had her blue and white pom-pom’s in each hand. 

Starting the race was so important. You had to be loud enough, energetic enough...most Riverside cheerleaders never got the chance to start one. Usually the Phoenix Drop High cheerleaders started the race, but somehow Alexis had struck a deal with them. 

Now they were standing across the street in one tight group, muttering. Ivy stood out like a sore thumb. She was taller than a majority of them, and her bright pink hair seemed to illuminate the air around her. Her three best friends, Lillian, Lily, and Alex hovered around her. They all seemed bitter none of them were opening the race. 

Malachi and Garroth leaned on their cars. Garroth’s black Tesla looked a little drab next to Malachi’s Jaguar. However Garroth had destroyed both Bowen and Santiago before in races, and it was not to be overlooked. Looks weren’t everything. 

“This should be interesting,” Kalea murmured next to Jazz. She was also in the blue and white crop top and sweatpants. However her posture was much more rigid than Jazz’s, as her arms were tucked tight against her chest and her bottom lip stuck out a little. 

Jazz nodded, folding her hands behind her. “Malachi and Garroth are both unbeaten.”

Kalea snorted. “That’s about to change. But one of them’s going to keep his streak.”

As Kalea finished her sentence, Alexis hurried over, telling Jazz with her eyes that it was time to to start. Jazz nodded and strode to the center of the street. Garroth and Malachi noticed, and both ducked into their cars. 

“Riverside High!” Jazz’s voice cut through everyone else’s, and the gathered students hushed each other. “Phoenix Drop High! Are you ready for a street race?!”

She shook her pom-poms above her head as the crowd went crazy. Someone had brought a cooler full of beers, and both schools were indulging themselves. 

Jazz stuck a pom-pom towards Garroth’s car. “In the black Tesla we have Garroth Ro’meave, whose streak is six to zero!”

The Phoenix Drop High kids went crazy, jumping around and hooting. Garroth revved his engine. However the Riverside kids booed him loudly, blowing raspberries and hurling empty beer cans at the Phoenix Drop side. 

Jazz pointed her pom-pom at Malachi’s car. “And in the blue Jaguar we have our golden boy Malachi Ward, unbeaten with a winning streak of ten!”

Now the Riverside kids cheered and clapped, and Malachi rolled down his window to blow some kisses to his side. The Phoenix Drop kids booed, but it was measly compared to the Riverside support. 

Jazz shook her hips and her pom-poms. “Phoenix Drop and Riverside, are you ready?!”

The cheers escalated, but Jazz could head an engine that didn’t belong to Malachi or Garroth’s cars echoed down the alleyway. Jazz turned as a motorcycle roared down the street, toward them. For a moment she fretted that it could be a cop, but the authorities stayed out of the feud between the schools. Instead, the motorcycle pulled up into a stop in front of the cars, and the rider kicked down the kickstand and stepped off, ripping off the helmet. 

Hot pink and purple hair messily plaited fell into a pale face and purple eyes. The girl was dressed in a green school uniform, complete with a blazer and a gray plaid skirt. However the uniform didn’t look puffy or loose on her — in fact, she almost made it look sexy. 

“I want to race,” she announced. 

An uneasy murmur went through the crowd. Jazz heard someone from the Phoenix Drop side yell, “She’s an Honorable!”

Jazz’s eyes widened as her eyes confirmed what the guy had said. The uniform was indeed from Honorable Prepatory, one of the three private schools in the area. Two were in Riverside, and one was in Phoenix Drop. However they were all so expensive the grades were tiny — less than twenty people in them. And they never, ever interfered with Riverside and Phoenix Drop feuds. 

Malachi climbed out of his car, frowning. “This is a Riverside and Phoenix Drop race,” he said. “Honorable students can challenge us some other time.”

The girl jabbed a finger at Malachi. “Then I challenge both of you, right here,” she said, smirking. “And from what I’ve heard, backing down from a challenge is a loss.”

Malachi’s face turned pink. Garroth crossed his arms. “Girls don’t street race,” he said. 

The girl’s head snapped towards him, and her purple eyes flashed. Out of the corner of her eye, Jazz saw Sierra Morgenstern huff and clench her fists. 

Another Honorable girl and a boy came up behind the girl with the motorcycle. “Let Autumn race,” the girl demanded. She had caramel skin, dark brown hair done up in a ponytail, and she wore boots instead of dress shoes. The boy was quite handsome, with blazing blue eyes and almost gray hair. However he seemed to trail behind the brunette like a puppy. 

Garroth narrowed his eyes. “Girls don’t street race,” he snapped. “It’s a guy’s sport.”

“Anyone can street race!” Sierra shouted from the Riverside side of the street.

“Yeah, maybe you’re just too much of a pussy to race her!” Bowen chimed in, and then he laughed and high-fived Wesley Brooks. 

Garroth’s face turned red, and he faced Autumn. “Fine,” he growled. “But if we win, Honorables stick to their school.”

Autumn shrugged. “Fine.”

The girl and the boy drifted over to the Riverside kids, the girl going straight over to Sierra and thanking her. Bowen came over to the boy and ushered him over to where he, Wesley, Asher, Santiago, and Liam were. 

Autumn pushed her motorcycle over next to Malachi’s Jaguar. As she passed, Jazz caught her arm. 

“Your name is Autumn, right?” She asked. 

Autumn nodded. “Yeah. You don’t have to introduce me if you don’t want to.”

Jazz smiled and released her arm. “It’s the least I can do.”

Jazz sprang back to attention, beaming. “Our new arrival is Autumn, racing for Honorable Prepatory! Let’s make some noise!”

The Riverside kids cheered first, and the kids from Phoenix Drop stayed mostly silent. 

Jazz ruffled her pom-poms. “Let’s get loud!”

Both sides began to cheer. 

“Racers, start your engines!” She yelled. 

Malachi and Garroth both revved their engines. Autumn slid her helmet back on and kicked back her kickstand. The light on the front of the motorcycle flicked on, and the engine roared to life. 

“Give me a three!” Jazz shouted, sticking out her arms at a ninety degree angle. 

Both sides yelled the word back at her. 

“Give me a two!” She shouted louder, bringing her right arm up a bit. 

Again, the words echoed back. 

“Give me a one!” Jazz lifted both her hands above her head. 

The crowd echoed back. Jazz grinned. Autumn leaned down close to the seat. 

“GO!” Jazz practically shrieked, throwing her hands down to her feet. She squeezed her eyes shut as Garroth, Malachi, and Autumn shot past her, at top speed. 

Jazz turned around and everyone crowded around a projector screen that Teegan O’Riley’s boyfriend, Jeremy, had set up with drone footage of the race. Jazz watched as the racers rounded the corner and sped off down Main Street. Malachi was leading by a large margin, with Garroth behind him, neck-and-neck with Autumn. 

“Go Malachi!” Alexis shouted, and the whole chorus of Riverside voices joined in. Then someone on the Phoenix Drop side started chanting for Garroth. Each side was giving the other the stink eye until Liam managed to lift Bowen onto his shoulders. Bowen hoisted up his beer can and shouted, “Autumn!”

The Riverside kids cheered, and a few Phoenix Drop kids joined in. The racers tore around turns and dodged other cars. They were halfway through the race already. Malachi was still leading, but Autumn was slowly gaining on Garroth. 

Jazz watched as they tore around the last turn, coming towards the alleyway again. Jazz skidded back into the middle of the street, squinting. The lights from the cars made it hard to see who was in the lead, but they were coming in fast. 

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Jazz yelled, shaking her pom-poms. The kids filed back to their sides and began to scream and yell. The racers put on a last burst of speed. Jazz put her pom-poms up, breathing hard and praying they wouldn’t hit her. 

She was surprised how far ahead Autumn was, and how she didn’t notice. The motorcycle whizzed past Jazz, its tires screeching as she turned around and stopped, yanking her helmet off and grinning. 

Malachi and Garroth’s cars roared to a stop on either side of Jazz, and they got out, both looking furious. 

“Yes, Autumn!” The Honorable boy shrieked, running over and hoisting Autumn up on his broad shoulders. The other Honorable followed, and suddenly the whole student body of Riverside was crowded around Autumn, thrilled that she had put a mark on Malachi and Garroth’s streaks. 

Jazz glanced back at the boys. They were muttering to each other, giving the Honorables a death stare. 

Jazz felt like this was not the last she would see of the preps at Riverside and Phoenix Drop challenges. 


	3. 3. A Riverside Party

“A party?” Falcon repeated, eyes wide. “You’re serious.”

Autumn thrust her phone in his face, and he leaned back to read the text. 

“We got invited to a freaking Riverside party?” Hale breathed. 

“I guess my win was more important than I thought,” Autumn mused, taking the phone back and reading the text again. “A girl named Quinn Carter invited me.”

“Oh, I’ve heard she’s nice.” Hale said, eating another French fry. They were at lunch, seated at their table next to the salad bar. Right now it was just Autumn, Hale, and Falcon seated, as Berry was in the line getting a drink. 

“There’s just one catch,” Autumn said slowly. 

“Oh, lord,” Falcon groaned, knocking back a swig of Mountain Dew. 

“Riverside also invited Equitable and Omnipotent,” Autumn continued hesitantly. 

Falcon and Hale stared at her like she’d just grown a second head. At that moment Berry came back and sat down, her IZZE drink making a clink as she set it down. 

“You guys look scared,” she observed. “What happened?”

“Are you serious?” Hale practically exploded. “Does this chick even know what kind of shit Omnipotent puts us through?”

“Huh?” Berry’s green eyes were wide. “What about Omnipotent?”

“I’m not going,” Falcon declared, sitting back. “Not with those dickwads.”

“What happened?” Berry begged. 

“You guys are overreacting!” Autumn protested. “Knowing Omnipotent kids, only, like, four people will show up. Maybe they ignored the invitation all together.”

“There will be so many Equitables there that it won’t even matter that the Omnipotents are there,” Hale pointed out. “Ninety percent of them are attention whores.”

“What happened!?” Berry practically shrieked. 

“Riverside invited us to a party,” Autumn said, exasperated. “After I won that race, I got noticed.”

Berry deflated. “Oh. Wow. And Equitable and Omnipotent?”

“Yes,” Hale said impatiently. “I’m with Autumn, though. I’d like to go. The Omnipotent’s won’t bother us.”

“Yeah, Falcon,” Autumn chided. “It’ll be like they’re not even there.”

Falcon rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. “Yeah, but they’ll be there,” he said. “You guys can go and have fun. If I missed out, pity me. You know how I feel about...them.”

Autumn and Hale shared a glance before nodding. “That’s fine,” Hale concluded. “Berry, do you want to come?”

“Oh, no,” Berry said, green eyes widening. “My mom would never let me. She barely lets me go to football games against Omnipotent. She really hates them.”

“I don’t blame her,” Falcon muttered, taking another drink of Mountain Dew. 

Hale rolled her eyes. “Whatever. What times the party?”

Autumn squinted at the text. “Eight to eleven.”

“Great. I’ll go home with you so we can get ready.” Hale smiled wickedly. “Finally a little bit of adventure in this dump.”

Many hours later Hale and Autumn parked the motorcycle outside Quinn Carter’s house, Autumn stashing her helmet away in the back of the motorcycle. They went up to the door and stepped inside. 

Quinn was immediately in front of them. She was a beautiful junior, with long dark hair and dark eyes. She smiled easily at them. 

“Hi guys!” She said, grabbing Autumn’s hands. “I’m so glad you guys decided to come.” She tilted her head at Hale. “Where’s your other friend?”

“Falcon?” Hale scoffed. “He chickened out. He was afraid the Omnipotent kids would be here.”

Quinn looked a little perplexed. “What’s so bad about the Omnipotents?” She asked warily. 

“The Omnipotents aren’t exactly the kindest and fairest people out there,” Autumn said, brushing it off. “It’s fine. Have the Equitable kids showed up yet?”

Quinn giggled. “Of course. They practically swamped us.”

“That’s the Equitables for you,” Hale sighed as they walked inside. 

The house was packed. Riverside kids were everywhere, but every now and then Autumn saw a flash of glitter or skimpy clothing and knew it was an Equitable. They loved to show themselves off like birds in mating season. 

Hale and Autumn made some rounds, getting drinks from a cooler and politely making small talk with some Riverside kids. Autumn was listening to a loud cheerleader named Kalea rant about how the Phoenix Drop cheer team cheats at competitions when the rev of an engine caught her attention. 

Autumn and Hale shared a nervous glance before slipping over to the window. Some of the Riverside kids were peering outside as well. The Equitable kids took one look, paled, and hurried out to the backyard. 

The Omnipotents had arrived. 

Two motorcycles, three boys. Flame was in front, and when he stepped off of his motorcycle, lifted off his helmet and shook his hair out, Autumn could practically hear the swoons from all around her. 

Dex drove without a helmet. He never rode with any sort of protection. Autumn had heard that he liked to challenge death, or whatever that meant. Dex stepped off his motorcycle gracefully, brushing his snowy hair back. Gray stumbled off the motorcycle much less gracefully than Dex. 

Autumn often pitied Gray. He was tall and stocky, and was handsome enough, but he never seemed to take care of himself. His hair was always tangled, he was always covered head to toe in bandaids, and he was almost always sick. 

“Shit,” Autumn mumbled, backing away. “Hale, should we-“

“No,” Hale growled. “We stans our ground. There’ll be talk if we run.”

Dex led them up the sidewalk towards the house. Most kids peeled away from the windows. 

Autumn caught Flame glancing at her motorcycle and frowning. Autumn tensed. Technically, the motorcycle was Flame’s — he had crashed it and abandoned it near Honorable Prepatory. Autumn had found it and taken it back to her house. She hotwired and saved it in her garage. Flame never acknowledged the fact that Autumn had basically stolen his bike — Dex had commanded that Gray give up his bike for Flame. 

As they entered the house, everyone seemed to scatter, except for Autumn, Hale, and Quinn. Quinn, ever so brave, stepped forward and gave them the same welcome she did to Autumn and Hale. 

“My name’s Quinn,” she added at the end, putting out her hand for Dex to shake. 

Dex took it in his gloved hand, and gave her hand a firm shake. “Thank you for inviting us,” he replied with a dazzling smile. “My name’s Dex, this is Flame, and this is my boyfriend Gray.”

Quinn continued to smile. “It’s my pleasure,” she said, stepping aside. “Please enjoy the party.”

Dex let his smile drop as soon as he turned away from Quinn to observe the party. Gray saw Autumn and Hale, and leaned over to whisper to Dex. Dex nodded but didn’t look in their direction. 

“Are they going to make trouble?” Autumn murmured. Hale didn’t look at her, but Autumn could see her fingers flexing at her sides. The answer was clear enough.

Autumn and Hale stayed in the same spot for a while, trying to remain inconspicuous. But it was only a matter of time before Dex and his friends sauntered over. 

“Hello, ladies,” Dex said chillingly, giving them an easy smile. “Fancy seeing you here. Where’s Birdbrain?”

Hale lifted her chin and met Dex’s gaze, even though they were a good four inches apart in height. “Falcon’s at home,” she shot back. “And don’t call him that. He has a name.”

“Sure he does.” Dex replied, leaning against the wall. Flame stood beside him with his hands in his pockets, while Gray stood behind them, refusing to even look at the girls. 

“Did anyone else from Omnipotent get an invite, or are you guys just honored guests?” Autumn asked, crossing her arms across her chest. 

“Oh, people got invited all right,” Flame answered this time. He lifted his chin and peered down at Hale and Autumn. His ebony-painted nails caught the dim lights. “They were too busy.”

“Busy” meant looking for trouble in Omnipotent terms. There was probably a fight, something not too important, or else these three would be there. Autumn scoffed internally. 

“Busy,” Autumn said instead, sarcastically. “I guess it’s not every day you losers get invited to a party.”

Three sets of eyes landed on Autumn as she realized she had called them a name. That was practically rule number one when it came to Omnipotents — never call them anything else other than their name. 

Dex’s arms unfolded from their cross. “What did you just call me?” He growled. Autumn saw Flame step closer, frowning. Gray was chewing his lip and watching anxiously. 

Autumn stared up into Dex’s red eyes. “You heard me,” she spat. “Loser.”

Dex flared up like a bearded dragon, but before he could hit her or spit back a retort, someone else called him from across the room. “Hey, Snow White!”

Dex’s head snapped towards the call. Autumn’s stomach flipped when she saw Malachi standing there, looking pissed. 

Autumn watched as Dex stalked over to Malachi. “So I see everyone suddenly has the right to call me names?” He growled dangerously. Autumn wanted to go over and yank Malachi away from Dex. Why was he so stupid and thick-headed?

Malachi smirked. “Apparently.” He said. “I’d like to know who gave you the right to key my car.”

“Excuse me?” Dex exclaimed. “And now you’re making false accusations?”

“I know it was you and your little troupe,” Malachi hissed back. “It was parked outside the movie theater and I saw you three booking it after I walked out. Then I went to my car and find this carved into my door.”

Malachi thrust his phone into Dex’s face. Autumn could barely make out the picture — but she could tell what the symbol was of. The Omnipotent Academy crest. 

Dex stares angrily back at Malachi. “It wasn’t us,” he insisted. “So stop framing us for something we didn’t do!”

The tension was broken as the front door burst open and suddenly Garroth Ro’meave was there, slugging Dex straight in the jaw. His best friend, Laurance Zvahl, wasn’t far behind as he tackled Malachi to the ground. 

More and more Phoenix Drop High kids poured into the house. Autumn backed up into the corner, eyes wide. _So this is what people were talking about when they said they crash each other’s parties,_ she thought.

Hale grabbed her hand. “Let’s go,” she shouted over the commotion. Autumn glanced back. Malachi’s friends Bowen, Asher, Wesley and Santiago were with him, and each Omnipotent seemed evenly matched against a Phoenix Drop kid — well, as evenly matched as Gray could get. 

Autumn allowed Hale to yank her out is the house and pull her down to the motorcycle. Autumn jumped on and Hale wrapped her arms around her waist, looking grim. 

They sped off, away from the commotion of Quinn’s house. 


	4. 4. Scar Tissue

“We got our asses beat, and it’s not  _ my _ fault.”

Dex stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at Flame and Gray. It was the day after the party — a Monday, after school — and they had hidden out in the tattoo parlor where Gray worked. Flame was sprawled out in a chair, and Gray sat on a counter, pathetically nursing the injuries he had scored in the fight. 

Gray had never been one to be in fights. He looked strong enough — he was stocky and looked like he could throw a punch, but he had the strength of pre-serum Captain America. He was slow and clumsy, always tripping over his own feet. And the beating he had received from some intimidating, tall Phoenix Drop High student with scars pockmarking his face and pale blonde hair did not help his case. 

Dex was still staring them down. Gray glanced at his feet. He just wanted to go home and fall asleep in his bed — but going home meant facing his father, and facing his father meant a slightly better punishment than hanging out with Dex and Flame. But he couldn’t risk it. If his father saw his broken nose, the gash cut into his forehead, or the way his left pinky bent the wrong way — he would punished, no doubt. 

Dex was fuming at this point. “I asked for answer,” he shouted, his severe voice echoing around the empty shop. “Whose fault was that fight?”

“It wasn’t any of ours,” Gray piped up quietly, hoping an answer would calm Dex down. “It was the Phoenix Drop High kids.”

He should have seen the blow coming, but he was as slow and clumsy as ever. The strike to his cheek hit him like a whip and he tumbled off of the counter, hitting the concrete floor hard. The air puffed out of his lungs and he yelped like a puppy, curling into a fetal position. 

Dex loomed over him menacingly. “That wasn’t the answer I was looking for,” he growled. 

Gray blinked up at him through blurry vision. Getting hit by Dex was really nothing new. Almost every day he limped home with a new wound from his boyfriend. But every time Dex struck him, screamed at him, or spit in his face, he just assured himself it was a show of love and protectiveness towards Gray. Even when he was in agony buried beneath his blankets the next day, praying his father didn’t come up to check if he was there before he left for work. Even when it meant strange looks and anonymous giggles from behind books and binders. Even when it meant Flame had to carry his unconscious body home because Dex didn’t want to trouble himself with the task. 

Flame hasn’t moved from the chair. He didn’t even seem to look up when Dex hit Gray. He sat and stared at the ring he turned over and over in his hands. 

Gray pushed himself up, supporting himself on his arm. He held his cheek. There was going to be a bruise the next day. And his ribs throbbed from hitting the ground. On top of all the other wounds he had picked up from the night before, he should just find a wheelchair at this point. 

He had bit his cheek hard when he fell. He spat blood on the ground and coughed, wheezing. 

“Useless,” Dex growled. “You didn’t do jack shit last night when those Phoenix Drop kids came in. While you were busy standing there like a martyr and taking all those hits, Flame and I were actually trying to keep up our reputations with those kids.”

Gray stared at the floor. His head ached. _The fight was my fault_, he thought slowly, hazily. _We lost the fight because of me. I failed them. _

Dex seized Gray’s chin and hoisted him up off the floor. Gray whimpered, feeling his ribs scream in pain. 

Dex’s red eyes were suddenly soft and kind. “I just want to protect you, sunshine,” he murmured, caressing the crown of his cheekbones with his thumbs. “You have to listen to me. You’re weak without me.”

Gray nodded slowly, his eyes half-lidded. He felt his lip begin to bleed. “Yeah. I...need you.”

“Exactly.” Dex kissed him gently on the cheek, right where he had hit him just moments before. He nudged some red curls out of Gray’s face. “This is just all for your wellbeing.”

Dex stepped away and Gray leaned back into the counter, still dazed. He should’ve felt more relaxed now that Dex had explained why he hit him. But Dex had never, ever apologized after he had struck Gray. Not once. 

Dex sighed, running his gloved hand through his hair. “Well, I’m starving,” he said cheerfully, as if those tense few minutes didn’t exist. “Flame, come on. Let’s go down to Rocco’s and see if they have pizza by the slice.”

Flame heaved himself off the chair, still not making eye contact with Gray. Gray found this a little odd. Usually Flame was the one to hit Gray and carry out Dex’s dirty work. Dex had seemed more outwardly violent towards Gray lately, and Flame had seemed more distant. 

Dex and Flame sauntered out of the parlor without a backwards glance. As soon as they disappeared from the windows, Gray slid down the cabinet to sit on the floor, his mind hazy. 

He pulled his knees up to his chest, put his elbows on his knees, and set his forehead against his arms. He wanted to pass out. He  felt like passing out. But Dex would be back soon, and if he found Gray on the floor, asleep, there would be hell to pay. 

Gray thought about clocking out and just going home. He didn’t have any set appointments for this afternoon — and walk-ins were rare on Mondays. He could lock up the shop, go home, crawl under his covers, and watch Disney movies all night. Whenever he was with Dex, they watched adult movies, the ones with guns and explosions and sexy women who do one badass thing and then disappear for the rest of the movie. Give Gray a blanket, some ice cream, and the 1973 Disney Robin Hood, and he would be perfectly content. 

He eventually staggered to his feet and made it to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He took one of the paper cups they kept in a dispenser next to the sink, and had two cups of water. He immediately felt better. He dried his face with scratchy paper towels and went back out into the parlor.

Gray survived the day without any walk-ins or unexpected customers. Dex and Flame never came back, and when he walked out into the sidewalk after closing up, he found their motorcycles gone. 

_ Great. I get to walk home .  _

Gray sighed and shouldered his backpack. His house was on the other side of town. He could just call an Uber, but he didn’t have any cash on him. He browsed through his phone as he walked, trying to look busy. 

While trying to look busy he was also not paying attention. He ran straight into a girl hurrying out of the tiny bookstore a few stores down from the tattoo parlor. 

“Oh my goodness!” The girl squealed, staggering back. She dropped the plastic bag she had been carrying. Gray quickly picked it up and handed it to her. 

_ Extraordinary _ was the only thing that could describe her. She had huge green eyes — the biggest eyes Gray had ever seen, as if she hadn’t outgrown her baby eyes — and intensely thick eyelashes. She had pale skin, and light blue hair messily tied back with a satin ribbon. Loose ringlets hung down into her face. She wore a tight blue sweater, with circles cut out for her shoulders and a triangle cut out to show a little bit of cleavage, high-rise jeans, and Doc Martins. 

“I am _so_ sorry,” she gushed as she hurriedly took the bag from him. She rummaged through it, making sure everything inside was still intact. “Thank you so much for...”

She looked up and they finally made eye contact. She seemed to shiver, a small spasm shaking her body. 

“Oh,” she said softly. “What happened to you?”

Gray froze as she reached up and touched his face. He flinched slightly as she touched his bruise. Her brows furrowed. 

“Sympathy?” She mused. “All of these scratches, and you’re feeling sorry?”

Gray was seriously confused. “I’m sorry?” He tried. 

The girl snatched her hand away. She looked afraid. “Oh, my god,” she said, slapping a hand to her forehead. “I am so sorry. I was getting better at that — I was getting so good! But yours was so strong and conflicting, aaargh...”

Gray was kind of scared as he watched her apologize over and over. He found himself feeling a little better. No one had ever been this forward and so friendly to him. Even though he was still tense, he felt more relaxed listening to the girl’s rambling. 

“I’m going to shut up now,” she said finally. “Again, I’m sorry for grabbing you.”

“No, it’s fine.” Gray assured her. “I kind of — needed a distraction.”

A smile spread across her face. She looked like she was examining Gray’s innermost feelings — her eyes flicked back and forth like she was reading a book, never staying in one place for more than a moment. 

“Okay, good,” she said, relieved. “Oh, I’m Robyn, by the way.”

Gray stuck out his hand, and she took it, and they shook. “I’m Gray,” Gray replied as they peeled their hands away. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Robyn said sweetly. “Again, I’m sorry for scaring you. I have a thing — kind of more than a thing — with my senses and stuff. I can see what other people are feeling.” She laughed. “I sound like an idiot. It’s a synesthesia.” She looked at him quizzically. “This is the part where you awkwardly laugh and then walk away.”

Gray didn’t think it was weird. He thought it was fascinating. “Really?” He asked. “Like, if I was feeling angry, what would you see?”

Robyn looked startled that he was asking for more information. She blinked before continuing. “Oh. Uh, I see, like, a red cloud and stuff like that. And I can, um, feel other people’s touches.”

Now Gray was even more intrigued. “Feel other people’s touches?”

Robyn blushed. “Yeah. Like, if you touch someone’s shoulder, I would be able to feel it.”

“That’s — that’s really cool.” Gray was genuinely intrigued. 

She smiled a little bit wider. “Thanks.” She said sheepishly. 

They kept staring at each other awkwardly before Gray moved to scratch his neck. “I...I should get home,” he said hesitantly. 

“Oh! Of course,” Robyn said hurriedly, smiling. “It was nice to meet you, Gray.”

“You too.” They parted ways and walked opposite ways down the street. Gray found himself smiling a little as he walked away. But the smile melted off of his face when he saw Dex and Flame staring at him, leaning on their motorcycles from the driveway of an alley. 

Neither of them looked happy. 


	5. 5. Into The Unknown

A ball of paper rolled towards Robyn, tapped her foot, and stopped. 

She had learned to ignore the “anonymous” notes thrown at her in the form of crumpled balls and paper airplanes. She waited for the giggling group of girls to drift off after they realized she wasn’t interested. As soon as they were gone, Robyn crouched down and picked it up. 

Unfurling it revealed a crudely drawn picture in crayon. It was of her, with a bunch of squiggly rainbow lines around her. 

_ The Last Rainbow Bender _ was written at the top. 

Robyn sighed and stashed it in the pile of crumpled papers growing in the corner of her locker. 

She regretted going into her freshman year and telling everyone about her synesthesia. All those first day “tell us one fact about yourself” classes went down the drain. Robyn guessed the teacher was looking for an answer about pets or what sport you played. 

Robyn had stood up in her photography class, her first class of freshman year. Her teacher, Mr. Zimmeroff, had been going around and asking each student to stand up and give a fun fact about themselves. Fourteen-year-old Robyn hadn’t known better. 

“I have visual and mirror-touch synesthesia,” she had announced proudly. “I can see other people’s emotions when they’re strong enough; like a cloud. And when someone else touches someone, I can feel it.”

The whole class got real quiet at that. Robyn sat down after Mr. Zimmeroff has politely thanked for her contribution. 

The rest of high school was torment. People would playfully punch their friends when they knew she was looking just to mess with her. Bruises that weren’t her own appeared. And the halls were so small, it was like walking into a smoking room with how many emotions were going around. 

So now she just kept her head down and focused on school. Equitable School of Fine Arts hosted almost every art program known to man — they were so stinking rich. Robyn had tried a lot of stuff her first year — photography, art, theater, and dance. Dance was always her favorite, and she was going to pursue that, until she found her true calling — figure skating. 

Robyn lived for the sound of her skates scratching the ice. For the feather-light touch of her skirt flapping against her legs. For the rush of cold air, the feeling of sailing around the rink without a care in the world. She was only a junior, and she was at the top of her varsity team. 

She didn’t have any friends to distract herself with. The last time she had a friend was sixth grade, and it hadn’t ended well. 

So Robyn kept to herself. She was okay with the other people on her figure skating team. They didn’t bother her, so she didn’t bother them. The only time she really interacted with them was last year when she was required to do a partner performance for a competition. She was paired with Hyacinth, a quiet, stocky junior at the time. They had placed third, which wasn’t bad. They barely spoke during practices. 

Outside of figure skating, Robyn was a stranger to Equitable. She had all A’s in her classes and attempted to remain inconspicuous. She had promised herself not to get attached to anyone else like she had with Gosling. 

But then she had met Gray. 

Her fingers hesitated on her locker door when she thought of him. She had only seen him once — and that exchange had been horrendously awkward. Another reason why Robyn barely spoke to anyone — she was terrible at conversation in general. 

But Gray had been nice to her. And that sad, gray-blue cloud that hovered over him — she wanted to make it disappear. She wanted him to smile all the time like he had when they parted ways. She felt her cheeks heat up thinking about the way his auburn curls fell into his eyes. 

Robyn slammed her locker shut and twisted the lock. _I can’t have a crush on Gray,_ she thought hurriedly. _I don’t know where he goes to school. I’ve only talked to him once. And love at first sight doesn’t exist. That’s only in Disney movies. _

She made her way across the school to the full-size ice rink they had. Like she said, this school was absolutely loaded. You had to be an extra type of rich to go here. 

She walked into the freezing cold locker room to get dressed. She pulled off her uniform — a skimpy thing, honestly. She wore a long-sleeves button down shirt, and a skirt so short it would make Sailor Moon blush. Prying off her saddle shoes, she traded her uniform for an old, faded T-shirt, sweatpants, and her skates. 

Robyn hobbled out onto the rink to warm up. Most of her teammates always came late, so she had the rink to herself for a good ten minutes. 

As soon as she hit the ice, she felt more relaxed. She breathed out a sigh of relief and did a few laps, tying her hair up into a bun with a scrunchie. She stretched as she drifted around, even yawning. Figure skating was like breathing to her now. 

Robyn practiced a few spins as her teammates slowly trickled into the rink. She had been working on a triple axel for weeks — she just needed to perfect it and she’d be set for her next competition. 

Finally the whole team was assembled and their coach, Coach Z, started handing out assignments for the day. 

“Today we’ll be running through each of our routines,” he announced. “Who would like to go first?”

So Robyn sat and watched everyone else go through their routines. She was slated to go last, like always during days like these. But soon it was time for Robyn to go on and perform in front of her classmates. 

Performing in front of a crowd of strangers didn’t worry her. It was performing for people she saw every day. She took a deep breath as she glided onto the rink, shaking out her arms and rolling her neck. 

Robyn glided to a stop in the center of the rink, taking a deep breath before taking her position. One foot pointed out, toes touching the ice, hands out in either side and her head slightly tilted into her arm. She closed her eyes as the music began. AURORA’s melodic chanting rang around the rink, and Robyn released the tension in her arms, waving them slowly and gracefully around her head like a flower waving in the breeze. Idina Menzel’s unique voice echoed around her. 

Mumbling the lyrics to _Into the Unknown_ under her breath, Robyn pushed off, gliding around to the left side of the rink. Most of the movements for the first part were simple arm movements. Interpretive movements to the lyrics of the song, really. But soon Elsa’s voice picked up, and Robyn moved into the first big movement of the performance. A simple Lutz jump that she could do with her eyes closed. As Elsa began to belt the title of the song, Robyn leaped up into her first jump and landed perfectly. Her teammates applauded politely. 

The rest of the performance was like clockwork. It was ingrained in her brain at this point. She could do the whole thing — besides the axel spin, of course — in her sleep. 

As Robyn skated, she found herself longing to skate with Gray. He was big and strong, which would help with lifts. Oh, how she would love it if he would partner with her for a competition. She felt the thought of it boost her through the series of jumps she had to do in a row. 

She could just imagine it. She could see Gray beside her, holding her hand and leading her through the steps she knew so well. She could teach him. She wished she could. 

Elsa’s voice escalated into a loud yell for the last note, and Robyn ducked down into the spin she did at the end. As the note ended, she felt Gray’s hands on her waist as she launched up into a triple axel. 

A _perfect_ triple axel. 

She landed with her feet in the exact right place, and she threw her hands into the air, chest heaving. 

The team erupted into applause, whooping and cheering. She let her hands flop down to her sides. She had done the jump successfully. 

Robyn glanced behind her. The thought of Gray skating with her was enough to boost her. It felt like he was right there the entire time. She was panting hard as she stumbled off the rink. 

“That was a great practice, everyone!” Coach Z announced, clapping once. “Go get changed, and that’ll be it for today.”

Robyn quickly changed back into her normal shoes and hurried out of the locker room. She had a destination. 

She had to find Gray. 

Forty-five minutes later, Robyn stood in front of Skullcandy Tattoo Parlor, still clutching her backpack and skates. 

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and went inside. 

It smelled like cigarette smoke and humidity. She tiptoed last the front foyer that was decorated with laminated examples of tattoos. Peeking around the wall, she scanned the store. 

Gray was faced away from her, organizing a cart that had a bunch of tattoo supplies on it. Robyn felt her face heat up just by looking at him. Grinning, she scampered over to him. “Gray!” She called cheerfully. 

Gray whipped around, eyes wide. Robyn stopped in her tracks. 

He had a completely new set of wounds. A bruise ringed his right eye, and he had a long cut along his jawline. Dried blood was stuck in his hairline and his eyebrows. 

“The hell you doing here?” He hissed, grabbing her arm. She flinched slightly. 

“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I wanted to see you again-“

The bell at the front door jingled. Gray’s face paled, and a bright green cloud exploded around his head. Robyn had never seen that much fear in a single person before. 

“Get in the chair,” he growled, shoving her down into a nearby chair. 

“Wha-“ she began, but then Gray slapped one hand over her mouth and pressed a tattoo needle to her arm with his other hand. 

“WHAT THE FUCK!?“ she yelled around his hand. 

“Shut up!” Gray hissed between his teeth. 

Robyn stared in horror as Gray loosely sketched out some sort of eye in the crook of her elbow. His face was still pale, and his lips were pressed closely together. 

“Gray.” A harsh voice called from the front of the parlor. 

Robyn looked up, blinking through her eyes watering. A boy with pure white hair and red eyes stood with his hands on his hips, watching them with disdain. 

Gray slowly turned, green fear pulsing around him. “Yeah?” He called uncertainly. 

The other boy raised his eyebrow. “Who is this? A new client?”

Some sort of understanding passed between the boys. Gray looked down. He seemed guilty. 

“Yes.” He said quietly. 

The boy sighed. “Come here, sunshine.”

Gray begrudgingly got up and went over to the other boy. Robyn watched them. 

_Sunshine_, she thought hazily._ That’s like a nickname. Are they dating?_

Robyn was almost certain until the red-eyed boy smacked Gray across the face. 

Robyn’s mouth fell open and she flinched. Stinging pain appeared on her cheek, and she moved her hand to hold her cheek. 

“I told you not to talk to her,” the boy snarled. Gray stood with his head down. 

They exchanged some whispered words, until the red-eyed boy shoved Gray back in Robyn’s direction. 

Gray staggered back over. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask you to leave,” he said tiredly.

“Gray-“ Robyn tried. 

“Please.” Gray stared back at her with pleading eyes. 

Robyn looked down at her lap. She wanted to ask Gray, right here, right now. _Do you want to skate with me?_

But instead she lifted her eyes and met his brown ones. 

“Fine.” She said, standing up abruptly. “This is what I get for trying to be nice for once in my life.”

She desperately tried to ignore the raw hurt on Gray’s face as she stormed past, grabbed her bag and skates, and hurried out of the parlor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a lavender bath before I wrote the last half of this so I was quite literally half asleep when I wrote this so I am very sorry if it seems very sloppy and doesn’t make sense, rip to y’all but I’m different


End file.
